Clamp



E."w.' REES.

CLAMP.

A'PPLICATION FILED DEc.25. 1919.

Patented J an. 4,- 1921.

UNITED STATlilfi PATENT QFFICE.

FRANK W. REES, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR TO SEES-ALL MANUFACTUR- ING 00., OF SEATTLE, 'WASHINGTON, A CORPORATION.

CLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 4, 1921.

Application filed December 26, 1919. Serial No. 347,528.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK W. Rims, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of \Vashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clamps of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in adjustable clamps of the type that are particularly adapted to be used in compressing the springs on the stems of valves in internal combustion engines for the purpose of cilitating the removal of such valves and the object of my improvement is to provide a clamp of this nature that is strong and simple in construction, rapid and efiicient in operation and that is of such shape and configuration as to make it available for use in inaccessible places and on the valves of engines of practically all of the different types in common use at the present time.

A further object is to provide a. clamp of this nature having a ratchet mechanism of novel form by which a movable clamping element may be locked in a fixed position to maintain a valve spring under compression while the retaining devices on the valve stem are being removed preparatory to taking out the valve, the said ratchet mechanism having controlling devices that may be set so that the ratchet will release instantly and automatically when a slight turning movement is exerted on the handwheel by which the main clamping element is moved.

A still further object is to provide a clamp of this nature having a foot formed of two separate pieces that are secured to the main clamp frame by a common pivot; that are adjustable toward and away from each other to fit valve stems of different size and that may be turned into various different angles with respect to the clamp frame.

The invention consists in the novel construction, adaptation and combination .of parts of a clamp of this nature as will be more clearly .hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in Side elevation of a clamp constructed in accordance with my invention as it may appear when in use, a fragment of an internal combustion engine being therein shown in cross section and a valve to which the clamp is applied being shown in elevation. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary View, partly in cross section and partly in elevation with one of the side plates removed of the head of the clamp showing the mechanism for moving the main clamp bar. Fig. 3 is a view partly in cross section and partly in plan substantially on a broken line 3, 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a view in cross section on a broken line 4, 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detached view in perspective of a detail of the invention. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the foot members that are secured to one end of the clamp frame and Fig. 7 is a view in elevation of a modified form of the invention.

Referring to the drawings throughout which like reference numerals designate like parts, the numeral 6 designates a substantially semicircular or C shaped frame that is preferably formed of a standard T bar as shown and that is left substantially straight at its two ends so that the head and foot members hereinafter described may be more easily attached thereto.

lhe clamp frame 6 is provided on one end with two foot members 7 and 8 that are mounted on a common pivot 9 so that they may be adjusted toward and away from each other and may be turned into various angular positions with respect to the frame as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 6. The foot members are each provided on their outer edge with an upwardly turned flange. 10 and are adapted to be inserted beneath a valve washer 11 that is pressed downwardly by a valve spring 12 against a removable stop 13 of the usual form on a valve stem 14 to 'lift the washer 11 and permit the removal of the stop 13 so that the valve stem may be removed from an engine 15 of which it forms a part. The foot members 7 and 8 may be adjusted toward and away from each other to fit valve stems of a different size.

The upper end of the clamp frame 6 is provided with two side plates 16 and 17 thatfit on opposite sides of the rib of the T shaped frame and are secured thereto by bolts 18. The plates 16 and 17 project forwardly from the end of the frame 6 and are bent so that they form a guideway 20 of substantiallyrectangular cross section for a vertically movable rack bar 21 that is provided on one edge with teeth 22. The plates 16 and 17 are also formed on their top sides with upwardly projecting lugs 23,

through which extends a shaft 24 that has a pinion 25 mounted thereon, the pinion 25 being arranged to mesh with the teeth 22 of the rack bar 21.

The shaft 24 is provided on one end with an irregularly shaped hand wheel 26 or with any other convenient device by which the pinion 25 may be turned to move the rack bar 21 len thwise within the guideway 20.

The shaft 24 will preferably be of square cross sectional shape with one end turned round as at 27 and journaled in the side plate 17. The bearing in the side plate 16 will be furnished by the shank 28 of the handwheel 26 which has a cylindrical exterior and a square interior as shown in Fig, 3.

The side plates 16 and 17 project above the upper edge of the flange of the frame member 6 and form a guideway wherein is disposed a movable pawl or dog 30 whose front end is adapted to engage with the teeth of the pinion 25 as shown in Fig. 2 to locl: such pinion against rotation in one direction, the front end of the dog 30 preferably being inclined rearwardly from top to bottom thereof and the top side of such dog being recessed as at 30 to adapt it to lit the teeth of the wheel 25.

The rear end of the pawl 30 is connected with one end of a spring 31, the other end of which is connected with an upwardly projecting lug 32 on an angularly shaped control member having a base portion 33 that slides on the top edge of the clamp frame 6 and having an upright portion 34: that pro jects outwardly through an H shaped slot 35 in a plate 39 that fits over the side plates 16 and 17 and is rigidly secured thereto by one of the bolts 18. The upper portion 34 of the control member is notched on each side as at 36 so that when such control member is raised slightly it may be moved from one end to the other of the H shaped slot 35 and will be retained within. either enlarged end of the slot 35 within which it is positioned. lVhen the control member is positioned in the forward end of the slot 35 the spring 31 will be under compression and will hold the pawl 30 in engagement with the gear wheel 25. When the control. member is moved to the rear end of the slot 35 the spring 31 will be under tension and will tend to withdraw the pawl 30 from engagement with the gear wheel 25. If the gear wheel 23 is rotated in the direction shown by the arrow when the pawl 30 is pressed against such gear wheel, such pawl will be crowded rearwardly and will snap beneath each tooth as it passes, thereby constituting a ratchet which permits rotation of gear wheel 25 in one direction and prevents rotation of such gear wheel in the opposite direction. If the control member is moved to the rear end of the slot 35 while the bar 21 is under compression and is exerting a turning force on the wheel 25, the spring 31 will be extended but the engagement of the tooth of the gear wheel 25 with the pawl 30 will hold such pawl in the position shown in Fig. 2 until a slight turn in the direction indicated by the arrow is imparted to the gear wheel 25, thereby freeing the pawl and permitting it to snap back out of the way of the gear wheel.

The top edge of one of the side plates is bent at right angles to the remainder of the plate as shown at 37 to form a top wall for the guideway in which the pawl 30 moves.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a form of clamp whereon the head comprising the vertically movable rack bar and actuating mechanism therefor are pivotally secured to a C shaped frame member 40 which corresponds to the frame member 6.

In this construction the head proper which is designated by the numeral 41 is preferably cast in a single piece and is provit ed in its rear end with a slot 42 adapted to fit over the base flange of the clamp frame 4:0 and pivotally secured to said flange by pin 13, the rib of the clamp frame 4-1 being cut away for a distance back from the end thereof.

In the construction shown in Fig. 7 it will obviously be necessary to pivot the adjustable foot members that are secured to the clamp frame 40 in alinement with the pivot 43 which may necessitate making such foot members of greater length than the foot members 7 and 8 shown in the other figures of the drawings.

The foot members 7 and 8 may be turned into various angular positions to adapt them for engagement with valves in locations difficult of access. The rack bar 20 is relatively long and has a wide range of movement so that it may be projected'into openings in various types of engines and caused to engage with valves that are to be removed.

After a valve spring has been compressed the pawl 31 will serve to lock the actuating mechanism of the bar 21 and hold such spring in a compressed position until the operator desires its release. If the control member 33 is moved to the rear end of the slot 35, while a valve spring is being held under compression, the pawl 30 will continue to hold the gear wheel 25 until the same is turned enough to take the pressure off of the pawl 30 and permit it to be moved rearwardly by the spring 31 free of the gearwheel.

The rack and pinion herein described afford sufiicient power for compressing the ordinary valve spring and at the same time provide a means whereby the bar 21 can be moved quickly so that little time is consumed in adjusting such bar to valves of different types.

It will be understood that changes in the form, shape and dimenisons of the various parts of this clamp may be resorted to within the scope of the following claims.

lVhat I claim is:

1. A clamp of the class described comprising a clamp frame having a foot at one e tremity, a clamping bar, means for moving said clamping bar toward and away from said foot, devices for locking said bar moving means and resilient control mechanism arranged to be adjusted to selectively urge said locking devices either into or out of engagement with said bar moving means.

2. A clamp of the class described comprising a clamp frame, a bifurcated foot member on one end of said clamp frame, a toothed rack bar guided within the other end of said frame and movable endwise t0- ward and away from said foot member, a pinion meshing with said rack bar, a pawl arranged to engage with and lock said pinion against rotation in one direction, a spring connected with-said frame, and a control member connected with said spring and arranged to be moved into different positions to cause said spring to yieldingly urge said pawl toward or away from said pinion.

3. A clamp of the class described comprising a rigid frame formed of a piece of T iron bent into substantially semicircular shape with the web of the iron outwardly, an adjustable bifurcated foot member secured to one end of said frame, plates secured to each side of the Web of said T iron at the other end of said frame and projecting above said frame and forwardly therefrom to form guideways, a toothed rack bar movable within the guideway in front of said frame, a pinion journaled within said side plates and meshing with said rack bar, means for rotating said pinion to move said rack bar toward and away from said foot, a pawl slidable in the guideway above said frame and arranged to engage with said pinion, a spring connected with said pawl, and a control member connected with said spring and arranged to be moved into different'positions selectively to cause said spring to yieldingly urge said pawl toward or away from said pinion.

4. A clamp of the class described comprising a C furcated foot secured to one end of said frame, a head pivotally secured to the other end of said frame and adapted to be turned into any desired angular position with re" spect to said frame, a rack bar guided within said head, a pinion meshing with said rack bar, and means for rotating said pinion to move said rack bar toward and away from said foot member.

Signed at Seattle, Washington, this 18th day of December, 1919.

- FRANK W. REES.

shaped frame, an adjustable bi- 

